April 4, 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In recognition of this historic event, the Hoogland Center for the Arts will present the regional premiere of the 2014 Tony Award-winning play, “All the Way,” March 2-4 and 9-11 in the LRS Theatre.

“All the Way” covers Lyndon Baines Johnson’s first year as President of the United States, following the assassination of JFK. Staking his unexpected presidency on what would be an unprecedented Civil Rights Act, Johnson finds himself caught between the moral imperative of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the expectations of the southern Democratic Party leaders who brought Johnson to power.

Dr. King, as portrayed by Springfield actor Tony Young, figures prominently in this play by Robert Schenkkan. Joining Tony is Rich McCoy as LBJ, Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson as Lady Bird Johnson, Craig McFarland as Hubert Humphrey and a cast of more than 30 other talented Central Illinois actors, playing real life figures in this riveting drama. Tony and Rich do a fantastic job as these two historic leaders, and they are supported by a wonderful ensemble cast.

Like the musical 1776, “All the Way” brings history alive in an exciting fashion. Even though as Americans we know the outcome, it is still fascinating to see a dramatic recreation of how the Civil Rights Act was passed. The show features strong language, as you might expect, but it is a noteworthy history lesson about one of the major events of the last 100 years. We hope to see you at “All the Way!”

Gus Gordon
Executive Director

All The Way: A Must-See Performance

Nov. 22, 1963. An assassin’s bullet catapults Lyndon Johnson into a tumultuous presidency.

Due to the content of this production, we advise parental guidance for viewers younger than 18 years of age.

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